Riddle's girl
by mrshutch
Summary: Albus Severus Potter has fallen in love...with a Slytherin. She's beautiful, mysterious, and has a past that tortures her every second of the day. After three years, going into the fourth, they finally have a chance to love each other. Read and Review! And shout out to AKToad for the help!
1. I don't need help

"GRYFFINDOR!"

The Gryffindor table erupted in cheers as Albus Severus Potter breathed a sigh of relief and walked into welcome arms. His brother gave him what seemed to be a slap of congratulations on the back. _I'm not in Slytherin, thank god,_ Albus thought as he shook hands with his new classmates. Everyone shouted for him, drowning out the sound of the next person's name being announced A dark haired girl with large blue eyes framed by long eyelashes that brushed her pale cheeks every time she blinked took a seat on the stool and placed the Sorting Hat on her curly mass of hair. She caught Albus staring and her dark full lips turned up in a small playful smile. Albus blushed, turning away. His heart pounded in his ears as he caught himself praying she would be in his house. There was silence as the hat decided for the longest time that night. The girl closed her eyes and seemed to be concentrating just as hard as the hat. Whispers started to fill the hall as the time stretched longer. Albus' eyes furrowed in worry as the girl's shoulders tensed.

Finally, the Sorting Hat shouted, "SLYTHERIN!"

There was a pause then some scattered applause from the Slytherin table. Albus felt his heart drop as he watched her gracefully walk to the table. Her head turned and she tilted her chin at Albus, once again, caught in the act of staring at a girl he barely knew. This time, Albus steeled himself with as much courage as possible and nodded back, even though he felt blood rush to his cheeks.

"What are you blushing at, little brother?" James smirked as Albus turned an even deeper shade of red. He looked to see where Albus had been staring at. "Oh that pretty girl? Well, look at that. You fancy a Slytherin!"

"I do not!" Albus protested, slapping his brother's arm.

"Shush now. The headmistress is about to talk, but you so do fancy her," James laughed and turned to face Professor McGonagall who had stood up for the beginning of the year speech.

Albus didn't pay attention. Instead, he concentrated at sneaking peaks at the Slytherin girl. Her long legs were crossed delicately and she held her head high with confident shoulders back. She had high cheekbones and pale ghostly skin, like moonlight. Her delicate curls were pulled back in a beautifully messy ponytail. She joined everyone else in applause as the headmistress sat down and the food came.

James wiggled his eyebrows at Albus as he picked up a treacle tart and tried to not look over at the Slytherins. He imagined the girl in his arms and blushed as his mind wandered into romantic thoughts about her. Mentally, Albus slapped himself. How could he be so heads-over-heals in love with a girl who he didn't even know the name of? The shouts around him had drowned out the announcement of the girl and he wished he had heard her name. The girl was now chatting with a third year boy with big shoulders and locks of blonde hair. He laughed at his own joke and touched his greasy hands to the girl's soft fingers. Albus was glad to see her pull away and rest her hand away from his reach. The blonde boy didn't seem too happy and grabbed her shoulder and turned her around. She fought him off, but he came back. Not knowing what he was doing, Albus stood up and walked over to the Slytherins. The hall turned silent as they watched Potter walk over. Those who knew his father saw the same fiery spirit in his eyes as pulled the big third year off the girl's back. The teachers sat at the high table, not knowing what to do. Professor McGonagall started to stand up, but Professor Longbottom stopped her. He shook his head, "We'll intervene if there is a fight. Let the boy help her."

The third year stumbled back in surprise.

"What in the bloody hell is wrong with you?" he shouted.

"Leave her alone. I don't want to see your greasy hands on her again," Albus growled, surprising even himself by his sudden burst of anger.

The third year was not going to be stood up by a little scrawny first year. "What's your name runt?"

"Albus Severus Potter."

The third year seemed thrown off. "Potter?"

"Yes, Harry James Potter is my father," Albus said proudly, admiring the fact that his father's name still brought such respect. "What's your name? Not a Potter, are you?" James jeered from across the room.

"No, I'm a Lestrange. William Lestrange. My grandmother was Bellatrix," he said proudly.

"Bellatrix had kids? Did I mention our mum is a Weasley?" James joined Albus.

"You and your dirty family can go back to the Gryffindor table. Us Slytherins aren't Muggle lovers like you lot."

"Watch it Lestrange. Us Gryffindors happened to kick the Slytherin's butt 19 years ago. Your grandmum lost to us Muggle lovers didn't she?" James sneered. He grabbed Albus and led him away as the hall erupted in chatter over the-almost-fight. Albus felt a small hand on his shoulder and he turned around. The girl stood there, less than two feet away from him. He could see that her eyes had a greenish tinge by the pupil. She looked up at him, chin held high and proud.

"I don't need help you know," she whispered, her blue eyes flashing.

Albus looked down, embarrassed that his face had turned red once again. "A thank you is enough," he managed to say.

"Well, yes. Thank you, but I don't need help," she said and walked back to her table.

Albus stood; stunned by the coldness in her voice. Yet, her eyes had shown a glimpse of warmth and light. He shook his head and stumbled after his brother. It took all the self control he had to not turn to take another look at the girl sitting silently at the end of the Slytherin table.


	2. Ava

Albus hated being shy. He wasn't like his brother; loud, but lovable. The first three years at Hogwarts, he had remained under the radar of most people, including the beautiful girl he had seen that first and fateful day. She had shown no interest in him, or really anybody; silent and shy, just like Albus.

"We've got Herbology first with Hufflepuffs, then Potions with Slytherins," Albus recited his new schedule to Rose Weasley, and their new friend Sean Jordan. His heart leapt at the thought of having a class with the Slytherin girl. "Then, Defense of Darts Arts with the Slytherins too! This is the first time we have anything with the Slytherins."

"You sound excited. You still fancy that girl, don't you?" his cousin grinned as she took a bite out of her buttered toast. "James was retelling the story of the first day we had at Hogwarts. Remember that?"

Sean swept his dreadlocks away. "She is extremely pretty though; big blue eyes, soft curly hair, moonlit skin, and that mysterious girl vibe. "

"There she is," Albus flapped the schedule in the direction of door. He hid himself behind his two friends and saw her twirl a curly lock of hair as she read her schedule.

"Why is she always alone? I've never seen her with anyone," Rose frowned.

"I don't even know her name and it's been three years," Albus muttered to himself, careful to not let his friends hear him.

"Well, I think it's high time she made some friends. Besides, somebody fancies her. Maybe that'll break her silence," Rose got up to walk to Rose.

Albus sputtered in surprise, "Don't tell her about me! I don't fancy her!" he protested running after Rose.

"Hi! I'm Rose!" she held out her hand to the girl. "I can't believe I haven't caught your name yet. Sorry, you weren't in any of my classes," Rose blabbered.

"Ava," the girl said leaving Rose's hand hanging.

"Well, yea, this is Albus," Rose quickly took her hand away and pushed Albus forward.

"Yes, I remember," Ava whispered as she raked her eyes over Albus. "He was the little hero."

"Hi Ava," Albus stuttered, shooting Rose a glare. Rose grinned, knowing full well she was going to be in for it later. "Well, um, we'll just leave you alone," Albus dragged Rose away. He turned around for one last look; Ava was smirking as she shouldered her bag. She gave him a small wave and left for her first class.

"She's gorgeous isn't she? Isn't she, Albus?" Rose sang jokingly. "Lovely, lovely girl."

"Shut up. How could you drag me over there?" Albus fumed. "She seemed perfectly happy by herself all this time!"

"Well, no need to thank me. I think I just got her interested in you," Rose said, packing her books into her bags. "Ooo, I can't wait for level four Transfiguration. Mother said it was her favorite. Dad said it was rubbish though."

Albus sighed.

A moment later, the three went off to the Herbology greenhouses. The sun was shining and the castle's shadow gave them a cool shade from the heat. As much as he fancied the girl, Albus was excited to start class again. Oddly enough, he liked school. Life was never boring at Hogwarts.

A cheery-faced man stepped out of the greenhouse wearing a large brown apron. He spotted the group of friends and gave them a wave.

"Hello Neville, I mean Professor Longbottom," Rose exclaimed. "Mum and Dad say hi!"

Neville smiled at the mention of his best friends. "Well, let's get started, shall we?" He led the group of Gryffindor and Hufflepuff fourth years into the greenhouses.

Albus had to stop himself from running to his next class to see Ava. He arrived in the Potions class to see a tall blonde man at the head of the class. A miniature version of the man sat at the front of the class and right next to him was Ava.

"Isn't that Draco Malfoy?" asked Rose. "Scorpius' dad. What's he doing here? How come McGonagall didn't tell us about the change in staff?"

"Why is she sitting next to him?" Albus spat, ignoring Rose. "Do they always sit together?"

"You're jealous," Rose said as she picked the table behind Ava and Scorpius, motioning for Albus and Sean to sitt down.

"I am not," whispered Albus. "Now shut up, I don't want them to hear."

Scorpius was showing off his expensive robes as Ava tapped her fingers and stared into the empty space beside his head. She saw Albus and smiled.

"Now my dad bought this one at…what are they doing here?" Scorpius looked back at the boy stealing Ava's attention.

"Didn't you know? Albus and the Gryffindors have classes with us this year." Albus loved the way she said his name.

"Oh, I forgot," Scorpius turned away, clearly not happy about the class arrangements this year.

"Hi Ava," Albus said shyly.

"Mind if I join you?" Ava asked. "I usually sit next to him, but I think I want a change in scenery, if you know what I mean."

Albus' mouth gaped open. "Sure, but oh, there's no space," his heart dropped in disappointment.

"I'll leave. You two have fun," Rose got up and winked. She skipped over to the table with tall and handsome Gryfinndor, Collin.

Albus tried to make a space for Ava, but instead, knocked over all his quills, nearly spilling his ink bottle on his Potions book. She smiled and made a space for herself as the bell rung for class to begin.


	3. The quill

"So, tell me everything!" Rose squealed bounced up and down in front of Albus. "What did she say? What did you say? Tell me!"

"Nothing really," Albus said, silently hating the blush that had once again crept up on him. "What about that boy you sat with? What's his name? Connor?"

"Shush about me. Did she say anything?" Rose avoided his question.

"They were boring! All they did was sit there and listen to Malfoy go on about potions and how he left the Ministry to teach us lot." Sean said.

Rose pouted, disappointed. She turned to Albus. "She was right there, next to you for the first time in all these years and you didn't talk?"

"I didn't know what to say!"

"The second a pretty girl sits next to you become speechless?" Rose joked.

Right then, Ava walked past. She bit her bottom lip to keep from smiling. Her dark curls bounced and Albus smelled the fainted scent of cherry blossoms. There was a faint trace of makeup on her face, making her eyes look bigger and lips redder. She was even more stunning. Ava turned her head and acknowledged the group of three. Albus blushed back, Rose waved cheerily, and Sean's jaw dropped.

"Woah," he breathed.

"Hmm?" Albus was just as distracted.

"You boys are idiots. Come on. I heard Teddy volunteered to teach Defense of Dark Arts. He wanted some time off being an Auror and of course Victoire said she would come too. I think she's doing Charms class. Ol' Flitwick is ill again. Mum sent me the letter this morning," Rose grabbed them by the arms and marched them to class.

Ava wasn't there when Albus arrived. He slouched into the seat next to Rose, awfully disappointed.

"Why looking so down Albus?" Teddy sat on his desk.

"Teddy!" Rose jumped up and hugged her cousin.

"It's Professor Lupin to you!" Teddy said, hugging her back. "So what's up Albus? Bad day already? You haven't even gotten homework yet!"

"It's nothing. I'm fine," Albus forced a smile. "You won't be giving us homework already, will you, Teddy? We're your cousins."

"Of course I'll give you homework! I get to boss my little cousins around, finally! You guys will be kept busy," Teddy joked.

"Teddy!" groaned Rose and Albus.

"Well, Professor Lupin, I think I know why Albus is upset. The pretty lass isn't here right now," Sean said. "I'm Sean Jordan by the way."

"Lee's son? Nice to meet you. Who's this pretty girl?"

"Ava from Slytherin," Rose said. "Albus has fancied her for the past three years. We didn't has class with the Slytherins until this year though."

"What's her last name? Maybe I can work some of my magic," Teddy joked.

Albus just shook his head, thanking the gods that the bell had rung in time to save him. Class was good enough with Teddy at the head, but Albus couldn't help but think it would have been better with Ava by his side.

Lunch time came and Albus spotted Ava at the Slytherin table next to Scorpius again. Ava ate silently as Scorpius chattered away happily. Albus told himself to not look, to forget about it for the moment. He didn't even know her last name. Albus took a breath and sat down with the Gryffindors, promising himself that he would enjoy this lunch.

"Hey," someone breathed into his ear midway through the lunch. Albus turned to see Ava, inches from his face. Her lips nearly touched his; all he would have to do is pucker a bit.

"Hi," Albus gulped, terrified.

"You left your quill in Potions," she pressed his quill in his hand, her gaze unwavering as a smirk appeared on her lips. Albus felt how soft and smooth her small hand was as it fit perfectly into his coarse hand. He turned to quickly shove his quill into his bag.

"Thanks. By the way, where were you in class before?" Albus asked as he placed his bag under his seat.

He turned around to find that she had already walked away, her hair bouncy behind her, leaving the smell of cherry blossoms again. Albus sighed and noticed that it had gone suddenly quiet around him. Sean, Rose, and James looked at him, mouths agape. James just gave him a cheeky grin, winked, and walked off.

"What was that about?" Rose demanded.

"I don't know."


	4. Scorpius

Ava couldn't hold her smile as she walked back to her dormitory. There was a silent tug at her heart as she remembered how close she was to him and how she could see tiny specks of gold in his green. Ava fingered a small pretty bottle tied to a thin chain around her neck, enjoying the silver glow that it gave off. It was all she had left of the memory to remind her not to lose herself. The liquid inside sloshed from side to side and creating a soft rhythm of comfort that stopped when she whispered the password to the Slytherin common room. What was inside was her little secret, kept in a tiny bottle, barely bigger than a baby's pinky finger, corked tightly. It was locked away and for once, Ava wouldn't let the secret bother her. She was at peace.

It was the first time in years since the incident that Ava was able to experience the sensation of joy and happy anticipation. Albus Potter had caught her eye the second she sat on the stool; a small, skinny boy with a head of black hair and large eager green eyes. He had an honest welcoming face that lit up when he smiled at the people around him. Albus looked happy, like he belonged, something she never felt. Ava was not used to seeing people so open with their emotions and so likeable; it was not a trait Slytherins possessed, but she found it enticing to say the least. Ava wanted so badly to speak to him, but she was never given to chance. What would her parents say if she flirted with a Gryfinndor? They were always watching her. Ava shook her head. She didn't want to even start imagining would he would say if he found out who she was related to.

"Hey dear, what are you smiling at? I've never seen your pretty smile before," drawled Scorpius, who was lounged across the couch in the Common Room, clearly enjoying the group of admiring girls surrounding him.

Ava's face hardened and her eyes turned from sparkling warmth to cold ice. She ignored Scorpius as he called her name and started down the passage leading to the girl's dormitory. Every year, he had tried and failed to impress her. He was everything she fought not to become.

"Ava! Merlin's beard, you're one moody witch!" Scorpius grabbed her shoulder and whipped her around to face him.

Ava's years of experience kicked in and she jabbed her elbow into Scorpius' ribs and he immediately let go with a yelp. His pale hand clutched his chest as he slumped against the wall, attempting to catch his breath.

"Don't touch me," Ava growled. She gave Scorpius a look of contempt and walked away.

"What's the matter?" asked the tall girl sitting in the bed next to Ava.

Ava didn't answer and merely threw herself onto the mattress. The girl shrugged and turned away. She and the rest of Slytherin were used to Ava's moody silences. Most of them could tell by the way Ava's eyes shot silent arrows at the things she saw and how she let her usually tied hair down into a mass of curls to hide her anger, or sometimes venerability. Ava didn't like being weak or pitied. She hated being looked upon; too many years she had spent being abused by her "father." It was a good thing he was dead. Yet, she admired his intelligence and power, but of course power had been his downfall.

"Um, Ava?" a sharp chinned blonde second year cautiously tapped Ava's shoulder. Ava believed she was one of the girls giggling at one of Scorpius' joke. "Malfoy wanted me to give you this note." She dropped the parchment on Ava's bed.

Ava snatched up the parchment and ripped it open, not caring if she tore it.

_Ava, _

_ Look, I'm sorry if I offended you, but I just wish you would give me a chance to at least be your friend. You're quiet pretty and I fancy you. _

_ Scorpius_

"What does he want to say?" the tall girl, Marya, peered over Ava's shoulder to read the note. She let out a dramatic gasp. "Ooo. He fancies you! I knew it!"

Ava ripped the parchment into tiny pieces and threw them into her old, ripped up trunk. "Rubbish!"

"Why? He's good looking, like his father."

"He's stuck up and arrogant, like his father."

"A Malfoy, Ava! He's got the richest family besides of course, the Potters."

"Name doesn't matter."

"Come on Ava. Girl's would die to be in your place right now."

"You wish he fancied you, don't you?" Ava shot at Marya.

"He's a pureblood," Marya said with exasperation, as if that was enough for anyone.

"Exactly," with that, Ava got up and walked out. She had always been good at walking away.


	5. the note

"I think she likes you too," Rose declared as the three sat by the common room fireplace. She looked up from her mother's copy of _Hogwarts, A History_. "Why else would she have done that during lunch?"

Albus allowed himself a small smile as he completed the last sentence to his History of Magic homework with the quill Ava had given to him. The funny thing was, it wasn't even his. All the quills his parents had bought him were safely tucked away in his trunk and bag. They were ordinary quills, an ugly gray and white streaked feather. Ava's feather like none other he had seen with a silvery green stem and snow white feather frosted with a tint of red at the edges. The tip was sharp as a knife and the feather as soft as cotton. For now, it didn't reveal any magical qualities, but it did hide something special: a note hidden in the hollowed end of the quill, wrapped with a lock of soft black hair. Albus had it tucked safely away in his robe after reading the note over until he memorized her handwriting. She had that little flourish in her writing, almost like old fashioned calligraphy.

"It's getting late, isn't it? We should get to sleep," Albus glanced out the window anxiously as he touched the note in his pocket.

"I guess we should, but she does fancy you, I can tell those kinds of things. Goodnight then," Rose gathered her books and staggered up to her dormitory.

"Are you coming?" Sean asked eyeing Albus suspiciously. He had made no motion to get up from his spot.

"No, I think I'm just going to finish up this sentence. I'll be right up."

Albus, in fact, had already finished his work and felt horrible for lying to his friends, but he had something more important on his mind.

_11:00. I suppose you've heard of the Room of Requirement? _

It was now nearly 10:30 and the common room was empty. Albus nervously checked his reflection, stabbing at a chunk unruly hair that stuck out. It was a hopeless case; his hair could never be tamed. Carefully, he smoothed out the creases in his robe and made sure his breath did not smell like the dinner of roast beef he had eaten. Of course, Albus had heard of his father's famous club that had started in the Room of Requirement. His father loved telling strange tales about that room and Albus loved listening to his fathers many adventures. The only problem was sneaking out, but that had been solved even before Albus had made plans to break the rules. The day prior to Albus' departure on the Hogwarts Express, Harry Potter had given his favorite son a cloak of invisibility.

"I would have given it to James, but I think he would have done a bit too much damage with it. You, though, I think you can have a bit of fun with this now that you're old enough."

Albus grabbed the cloak from his bag and threw it over himself. 10:40, just enough time to walk from the Gryffindor tower to the hallway in which the famous room stood. Quietly, he slipped out of the porthole, making sure he wouldn't awaken the Fat Lady from her sleep.

_It's a huge blank stone wall, but you have to remember, the door isn't there until you ask it to be there. Even then, it's got to be a desperate wish; you've got to wish for the room with all your heart. It doesn't matter whether you wish to have it for good or evil purposes, though I hope it will be for good, you have to wholeheartedly want it. When you do, the doors appear and the room is yours to do as you wish. If you want to keep a certain person out, all you to do is ask. When I was there, it gave me everything I needed to train an army of schoolchildren. I reckon only Neville has gotten to know how to completely control the room, but that's just the basics. _

10:55; Albus now stood in front of the wall his father told him about. He poured all his feelings for Ava into his wish to be let in. In front of him appeared a huge doorway, just like his father had described it and the door slowly swung open for him, beckoning Albus Severus Potter to enter.


	6. Room of Requirement

The Room of Requirement had set up a warm room with a plush carpet and a sofa located in the front of a brick fireplace. There were gold rose vines wounding around creamy pillars and moldings that accented the dark red walls of the room. Somehow, the room gave off a slightly sweet smell, like cotton candy and roses blended in a perfect balance. Like the Great Hall, candles were floating and the ceiling was a mirror of the starry sky. The room had opened a window at the corner to show the lake sparkling in the moonlight and letting in the sounds of the night.

Ava sat on the windowsill, staring out into the night waiting for Albus to show up. She had straightened her hair into long black locks with the help of some of her roommates and tied it in a delicate braid. Instead of her usual school robes, she wore a silky white nightgown that her mother had left behind for her. Whenever she moved, the material would almost shimmer against the paleness of her skin. The lack of sleeves showed off her soft arms and the low back showcased Ava's obvious fit body. She looked stunning in the soft white moonlight and strikingly like her mother. The clock had just ticked to 11 o'clock when the door opened to reveal empty space.

"Hello?" Ava whispered, confused.

Albus' head appeared from the air along with the rest of his body, as he stuttered an apology for forgetting to take off his cloak. He turned even redder when he realized what Ava was wearing.

Ava felt herself blush too. _Was the nightgown too much?_ she worried. Judging by how Albus could barely walk to her, it was having the effect she wanted. It looked as it someone had put the Curse of the Jelly Legs on him. As he attempted to walk over, she grabbed her usual robe and began to put them on, regretting her choice of clothing.

"No, don't. I like your dress," a warm hand touched her shoulder and spun her to face emerald green eyes. Albus was getting redder by the second, but there was determination in his eyes that she admired.

"Thanks. It was my mother's," Ava smiled and sat down on the sofa and made a space for Albus.

"It's beautiful. You're beautiful," Albus felt the words slip from his mouth. Embarrassed, he looked down at his hands.

It was silent for a moment. The couple stared down, listening to the serenade of crickets and birds singing a melody that floated up through the window and harmonized with the crackling of the firewood. Albus snuck a peek at the goddess sitting on his right hand side. He noticed the silver filled bottle glittering off of her pale neck. Slowly, hesitantly, he reached over and touched the bottle with his finger.

"What is this?" he asked as he examined the intricate gold carvings around the cork. It was written in a language he could not read, but Ava could quote it word for word.

Ava shivered from her old memories rising. "It's a reminder," she decided to say. Immediately, she felt a pang of guilt for lying, or technically, not telling the whole truth.

"Of what?"

"My mother."

"What does she do?" Albus glad to start a conversation.

"She's dead."

Albus' heart dropped. Had he insulted or hurt her now? "I'm sorry."

"It's fine. That was a long time ago. It doesn't hurt anymore. She's gone and there's nothing I can do about it." Even as Ava said that, she felt the old pain in her heart well up. Her thin arms hugged her body as she struggled to forget.

Almost instinctively, Albus leaned closer to her and put an arm around her bare shoulders in comfort. She let him keep his arms there, enjoying the moment.

They stayed like that, Ava in Albus' arms, perfectly happy with the soothing silence. By the time the clock struck twelve, Ava had fallen asleep against Albus. He buried his face in her hair, smelling the faint smell of a cherry blossom shampoo. In any other circumstance, it would have seemed wrong to be in this position with a girl he met just yesterday, but Ava was different. It wasn't awkward like first loves were supposed to be. She was quiet, but strong, yet tonight, Albus had seen a weaker side of her. He welcomed silence after spending so much time in the same house as James and her venerability only made him want to be with her and protect her from the invisible force that was obviously still torturing her every second of her day. Only now, when she slept, could Albus see her relax. Every other time, she was tensed up in a tight coil as if she expected an attack at any moment. Albus was the perfect blend of being carefree and being cautious. It was the steadiness that Ava needed in her life. Maybe it was love or maybe it was just the way things were supposed work out.


	7. The Common Room

They were going to be late. Albus sprinted past crowds of students with Ava right behind him. Everyone turned to see the two fourth years start up the staircase to get to DODA class. Albus' hair was messed up even more than usual and perspiration beaded his face. Ava's braid was a mess as her curls fought to take over. The bell rang with Albus reaching the last flight of stairs. In his rush, he forgot that the second to last step was a trick step and his leg fell through. For a moment, Albus thought he would fall, but it was luck that Ava was able to grab him at the last moment and help him back up. He smiled in thanks, unable to talk from the sudden increase in his heart rate.

"Maybe we should take the day off," Ava suggested. She was still wearing her dress under the robes that the Room of Requirement was able to provide them. They had wakened up later than anticipated and there was no time to sneak back to their dormitories and have breakfast. Thankfully, the room had morphed itself so that they had a bathroom to neaten up in and change, not together though of course. Even then, they had barely enough time to throw on robes.

"Are you suggesting we skip class? We just got back!" Albus smiled, though. He liked the idea of just spending the day with Ava.

"Sure. You can check out the Slytherin common room. I need to get this dress off or else I'm going to go of my rockers," Ava looked at him with a mischievous glint in her eyes. "Just make sure you stay under the cloak."

_It's in the dungeon area, not a nice place compared to Gryffindor. They've got these huge silver columns and a high ceiling with stone walls. The first time I stuck in there, it was my second year, I think. I took the polyjuice potion to look like a bunch of ugly Slytherins. It's a cold dark place, just like a Slytherin's heart. _

Harry Potter had told his sons what the dormitory looked like. Albus disagreed with the last statement though. Ava's heart had beat against his and it was warm and full of love. _One day won't hurt_, Albus thought.

"Sure, let's go," he said.

Ava reached for his hand and they walked back downstairs, stopping occasionally to listen for wandering teachers. The sun shone through every window and the castle halls were empty the whole way. It was as if everything was happy to see them hand-in-hand. Albus slipped the cloak over his head before Ava spoke the password to the Slytherin common room.

"Hey, are you skipping class too?" Scorpius' voice startled Albus, his heart now beating fast. Albus cautiously tiptoed to a corner of the room, to avoid Scorpius bumping into his invisible body.

Ava headed straight for her room without paying attention to the blonde boy, much to Albus' satisfaction. He watched as Scorpius sat back down and grumbled words that he could not hear. Straining, Albus leaned forward and tripped over the edge of the rug, producing a loud crash.

Scorpius jumped up and at the same time, Ava ran out of the room with her dress still on.

"It was me, sorry," Ava said, trying not to look at the corner of the rug that was upturned now.

"It came from over there!" Scorpius had turned paler, if possible. He pointed a stubborn finger at the corner where Albus stood, frozen with shock at what he had done. "I heard it! It was from that corner!"

Ava bit her lip, trying to think of a way to distract Scorpius from the fact that it was not her, but perhaps someone else. Closing her eyes and knowing it was the only from stopping Albus getting in trouble, she leaned forward and kissed Scorpius.

The blonde boy was shocked at first, but he recovered quickly and kissed her back with a passionate fury, slipping his tongue into her mouth. Ava tried to stop, but Scorpius was stronger and heavier than her. He mistook Ava's struggling as passion and pinned her arms at her sides, pushing her to the sofa where he kissed her even harder, then putting his hand on her stomach and moved slowly upward. Ava was scared now. She looked in the corner and saw Albus' head appear, his mouth agape in shock and hurt. Pleading with her eyes, she begged him to go and escape while Scorpius was still distracted. He shook his head at first, staring to turn red with anger as the Malfoy started kissing Ava's neck, his hand wandering to her bare back.

"Go!" Ava mouthed at the same time Scorpius moaned, "You're beautiful."

Albus felt himself shaking as he stumbled toward the door and ran out.


	8. Forgiven

He was out.

"Stop," Ava said breathlessly into Scorpius' ear. The blonde was moving his lips to the opening of her V-neck dress as his hands explored her backside. She hated the touch of his stone cold skin and longed for Albus' warmth, but she did it to help Albus, hopefully he would understand. His last look at her, so full with hurt and anger, was burned in the back of her eyes.

"Why? I thought you wanted this," Scorpius mumbled. He moved back up to look Ava in the face. _She's so hot, _he thought. _I could go all the way with this one. _Ava pursed her lips as she thought of an excuse to leave. It was more complicated than she thought; after all, she had started the kissing. Scorpius impatiently touched his lips roughly to her mouth again.

"No, I should get back to class," Ava pushed away and got up. She hurried to her room, threw on a robe and walked out before he could catch her again. With a heavy heart, she started her search for Albus. He wouldn't be in the Great Hall eating with the rest of the students. She knew he wouldn't be able to go face his friends, she wouldn't have either. Perhaps he went back to the Gryffindor tower, but she didn't know the password. _The Room of Requirement. _Of course.

It was less than five minutes until the bell would ring. Ava quickened her step, not wanting to be slowed down by throngs of people. She rounded a corner and bumped right into Professor Lupin.

"What are you doing?" Teddy demanded. His look softened as he recognized her. "Aren't you the lass that Albus fancies?" he asked with a gentler, teasing voice.

Ava turned red; she felt tears coming to her eyes. "I-I'm, I left something in one of the classes," she choked out.

"Yea? I heard you weren't in any of the classes today, Albus wasn't either. What's going on?" Lupin realized the connection and frowned. What in the world was his little cousin up to with a girl on the third day of school?

Ava couldn't help the tears as they rolled down her face. Each tear glistened like a thousand-facet diamond. Lupin looked at her with shock. Feeling quite horrible, he cleared his throat and left her fighting sobs at the corner of the corridor.

Ashamed, Ava tried desperately to stop the guilt that ate her up. _I was trying to help. He'll understand_, she thought over and over again. With a burst of energy, she ran to the wall where the Room of Requirement was and it let her in right as the bell rang for the students to move to their next class.

She was right. Albus stood by the window that she had sat at only last night. He didn't turn as she closed the door behind her.

"I'm sorry. It was the only thing I could think of to help you," she whispered as more tears rolled down her face.

Albus took a deep breathe and turned to finally face her. "I know, I'm sorry I looked so angry. It just, it was so wrong to see you kiss _him_." He took a step toward Ava and wiped a tear of her cheek. Smiling through blurred eyes, she threw her arms around his neck and sobbed into it, letting all her emotions out.

"I didn't know what else to do!" she sobbed. "I don't know what to do now!"

Albus held her tightly, waiting for her cries to calm down. There was no use being angry with the girl that he loved. She was just trying to help and she did. It had just torn a strip out of his heart to see another boy kiss her in front of him. Albus didn't even get to kiss her yet.

"We'll think of a way to get him off you," Albus reassured Ava.

She nodded, wiping the last tears away.

"This is going to sound unbelievably stupid, but was he a good kisser?" Albus winced at how jealous he sounded.

Ava laughed. She playfully tousled Albus' hair. "I don't have anything to compare that with, yet."

Getting her hint, he smiled and kissed her. He was gentler and more loving than Scorpius. Ava broke away and whispered, "nope. He wasn't great at all."

"Good," Albus mumbled and pressed his lips once again to Ava's. She didn't know it was possible to smile and kiss at the same time. Albus didn't push things like Malfoy had. Occasionally, they would stop to catch their breath and stare out the window. Soon, the sun staring its descent, marking the end of another day.

"Should we go back to our common rooms?" Albus asked. He really didn't want to leave, but it was only polite to ask.

"They would ask questions, wouldn't they? Let's just stay here," Ava answered.

Immediately, the Room of Requirement added a large bed to the corner of the room.

"What about supper?" Albus asked.

A house elf appeared in the room with a platter full of food. He set it down on the table, bowed, and disappeared with a crack.

"Thanks Kreacher," Albus whispered to the thin air.


	9. The memory

"I'm going to go first. Wait a couple minutes before following," Ava said, giving Albus a hug goodbye.

"Remember your story," Albus leaned in for one last kiss. They had spent the night lying side by side, hand in hand, thinking of separate alibis. Albus said he would tell everyone he got sick and went to the nurse, but she wasn't there, so he found an empty classroom, threw up, and passed out on a desk. Ava decided she would tell everyone that she got bad news from her family and didn't want to talk to anyone.

"I will." Ava gave him a smile and walked out into the corridor that was now lit by orange of the rising sun.

She tiptoed out of view. Albus already missed the sweet smell of her skins and the brightness of her eye. He went back inside the room to collect anything he may have left behind. Something shiny caught his eye lying on the floor next to the bed. It was the small bottle that Ava wore around her neck. She called it her "reminder." Albus picked up the small bottle and shook the liquid around. Silvery droplets swished around like liquid mercury.

_The first time I saw a Pensieve it was in Professor Dumbledore's office. It glowed with a soft silvery shine. Of course I was curious and I went to take it look. The liquid that was glowing looked like the mercury that Muggles blame for radiation. I bent closer and closer to it until my nose touched it and I was sucked into a memory. It felt like I was being dunked in a basin of cold water as the liquid seemed to suck me deeper and deeper into thoughts of Dumbledore. Nobody in the court room noticed me, it was like watching a Muggle film, but instead, I was in it. If it weren't for the memory, I would've thoroughly enjoyed it. _

That's what it was; Albus thought he had seen something like it before. His father kept a closet full of memories that he couldn't bear to keep in his head. Sometimes, if the memory wasn't bad, he would let his children wander around in it.

Albus wondered what memory was so important that made Ava keep it so close to her all the time. There was only one way to find out, but Albus knew that was wrong. It was an invasion of privacy. Yet, Albus could feel his curiosity dragging his hand to the cork. _Uncap it!_ his heart told him. The rational part of his brain struggled to resist. If Ava found out, she would hate him forever.

A pop startled Albus; he had uncorked the bottle without even realizing it. A bowl appeared on the table next to the bed. Silently, Albus cursed the Room of Requirement for reading his mind so well. Shaky hands poured the memory into the bowl. There was a moment of hesitation as Albus' mind screamed for him to stop. Curiosity overruled everything and he leaned over the bowl and found himself falling into the memory.

_It was cold, almost unbearably cold. The trees bent to the will of a powerful wind that ripped through the grounds of a dark forest. A force pulled Albus forward to the light of a small wooden cabin hidden amongst large trees and bushes. A beautiful woman stood at the doorstep. Her familiar curls whipped around a face that Albus knew so well. She had the same brilliant blue eyes and full lips as Ava. In her arms was a tiny baby, sleeping. _

_ "Ava, if you are seeing this, you've woken up already. I just," the woman looked at Albus and gulped down a sob, "I just want you to remember. Ignorance is not the way I want you to live." _

_ Albus' heart pounded as the woman turned to unlock the door. He realized that this memory was the story of Ava's past. _

_ Inside, Ava's mother set the baby down on a bed of straw and sat down next to the small bundle. _

_ "Your father is an honorable man. It's just that nobody understands him. They don't get the pain that is driving him to extremes. to hide his identity, your own blood and name, from you is wrong. Just make sure nobody finds out. My maiden name is Eveline; use that as your own in public." She paused and rubbed her tired eyes. "Your father, he is not evil. You must not hate him for who he is and I beg you," a tear rolled down her cheek, "I beg you not to hate me either. This is not what I wanted to do. You should have been able to grow up like a normal witch, but it did not turn out this way. Don't blame your father. Ava, before I tell you who he is, I just want you to know I love you. He loves you too, but his heart and mind is clouded by something that scares me. It is not him. He has changed form the man I loved. The man I loved was ambitious and clever. Now, his intelligence has led him down a path that I do not agree with, but I am his wife and I will be a loyal wife. I have hidden you away in a forest for from his reach. Later, I will perform an anti-aging spell and put you to a deep sleep. The spell will only be broken when your father no longer exists on this planet. I will return to him after the spells are done and tell him you died." Her eyes were pained from the thought of leaving her daughter. _

_ Albus wanted to comfort her because she looked so much like Ava. It was only the soft breathing of baby Ava that reminded Albus that he was in a memory. _

_ "Ava, I'm so sorry. I hope that one day you will understand. Your father is Tom Marvolo Riddle."_


	10. Missing

Ava snuck through the door of her room and slipped into bed. Marya was still sleeping, her chest rising and falling in rhythm to her snores. It was 5:00, nearly time for them to get up. She closed her eyes and pretended to sleep. Inside her head, she was racing through every touch she and Albus shared. Then, her mind wandered to Scorpius. How in the world would she avoid him from now on? _Bloody hell, why didn't I think of this before?_ she cursed her stupidity. Ava glared at the ceiling. She was thinking of at least ten good excuses to use on Scorpius when Marya's cough shattered the silence.

"You're back," she whispered. "What were you doing?"

"I had a family emergency," Ava lied smoothly.

Marya started at Ava. Ava glared back until Marya shrugged and got up to change.

"I don't believe you. You can trust me you know. I want to be your friend," Marya wrestled on her shoes.

Ava kept silent. Trust did not come easily. Love did not come easily. She smiled; Albus broke all of the barriers she had built up. He could be trusted to do the right thing for her.

"So, tell me the truth. Where were you?" Marya pried on.

"I told you, my mother got really sick and I had to go visit," Ava stood up and started to change.

"Fine, I still know you're lying," Marya gave her a questioning look and left for breakfast.

Ava felt a slight pang of guilt, but she ignored it. She reached into her trunk to pull out a clean set of robes that she had bought with some money that her mother had left behind. That was when she noticed that a weight seemed to be missing from her neck. The usual pendant that swung and hit the side of the trunk every time she bent down was gone.

Panic gripped Ava's chest. It was the only memory she had left of her past and now it was missing. In desperation, Ava dropped to her knees and searched the area around her bed, earning curious glances in her direction by the other girls. There was nothing but small dust mites that the house elves may have missed. Her whole bed was turned inside out as she ripped off the bedspread and pillows in search of the small silver bottle.

Tears started to roll down her face as she took a deep breath and attempted to calm her racing heart. Blood pounded in her ears as she thought back to where she had been. The answer was clear. She hadn't even slept in her bed the past two days. How could she be so stupid in panicking? _The Room of Requirement_. Ava smiled; glad to have found the answer to her momentary panic.

It was with a small smile that she stood up from her bed and walked out the room. The clock said that it was only half past six, still enough time to run to the Room of Requirement, sit down to eat a quick breakfast, and get to class on time. The dungeon halls were still dark, only the faintest illumination from small torches provided light for the Slytherin girl to see where she was going.

Upstairs was much brighter; the sun had come to shine its light through the large class windows of the castle. Ava admired the beautiful architecture of the castle for a moment. She felt as if she could stay here and call it home. It was a better home than the crowded, foul orphanage that she stayed at. There were unwanted Muggle children picking their oily noses, aware of nothing but the growl of their empty stomachs. Often, if one of the older ones were in a bad mood, they would push around the silent girl sitting in the corner, staring out of the grimy window, Ava. She was good at ignoring them. Ava knew she was wanted, unlike them. Her mother had died to protect her and her father was far stronger than any of the Muggles could hope to be. For the most part, Ava had hid the fact that she was a pure-blooded wizard with nearly royal lineage running through her veins. Silently, she waited for her letter from Hogwarts. It came, just like her mother said it would. Her mother was always right.

Ava arrived at the seemingly blank stone wall and closed her eyes. She thought of her bottle of silver, of her love for Albus, and of the most beautiful two days she had ever lived through. The doors appeared almost immediately, looming over her small frame. Ava took a step forward, looking around first to make sure nobody was in the halls, and then tugged at the handle.

She stepped in the warmly lit room and saw a sight that left her breathless. Albus was bent over a small bowl by the bedside. His face was completely submerged in a silvery liquid and in his hands he clutched a small empty bottle with a chain trailing down to the floor.


	11. The memory part II

_"Tom Marvolo Riddle."_

The words echoed in Albus' ringing ears and he thought back to what his father had said.

_The first time I truly met Lord Voldemort was when he wasn't Voldemort. He was a Hogwarts schoolboy, going by the name of Tom Marvolo Riddle; named after his late father and grandfather. It wasn't actually him, but a part of soul hidden inside the Horcrux created out of a diary. Even then, his memory of deadly, managing in nearly killing your mum and petrifying a handful of Muggle borns. I was nearly put away to my grave too, but I got lucky. Anyways, he, or at least his memory, was a handsome young lad, clever too. If you were to take a quick glance in his direction, you would have never known that young Tom Riddle would grow up to be the most feared Dark Lord the wizarding world would come to know. There was nearly no sign of intense evil in his handsome façade. It was only through his eyes that you could see something brewing; nothing evil yet, but something dark and mysterious. They were eyes that showed deception and greed. His voice was as smooth as silk, dangerously persuasive. They were eyes that knew no love._

_ And I love his daughter,_ Albus shivered with that thought. He was in love with a Riddle. How could it be though? Tom Riddle could not love, his father had said so. If he could not love, how could he have had a child? Albus' mind reeled with questions and his heart pounded. Why hadn't Ava told him? _Because I wouldn't have told either, if my father was the Dark Lord,_ Albus' voice of reason broke through the question. _It's not her fault her father was an evil murderer._ Taking deep breaths, Albus turned his attention back to the memory.

_Ava started to whine and cry. Her mother got up to comfort her daughter. _

_ "You're so beautiful. I'm sure you'll be lovely when you grow up," she whispered. Her soft blue eyes turned to face Albus. "You look a bit like me, don't you? Curly hair and green eyes. You have your father's face though. He was a handsome man."_

_ Ava stopped crying the second her mother spoke. As if she wanted to listen and grasp on to every word her mother spoke. She walked back to the table, bouncing her baby on her lap. _

_ "I am going to go back to your father soon. He needs somebody to keep his head straight for a while at least. I love him, and he loved me. We met in Hogwarts of course; I was a year younger than the great prodigy, Tom Riddle. He was the best in his class, the leader of a group of powerful friends, and every girl fancied him, even some Gryffindors. I was sorted into Slytherin, like my family expected me to, even though I was only a half-blood. Like your father, I'd like to think I was quite clever. Teachers liked me and I did well in school without having to study too hard. I could have easily fitted into Ravenclaw, but I was too ambitious for them. It was in my third year that whispers went round, saying Tom Riddle fancied a girl. She was going to be his dark princess and he would be her dark prince." Her eyes were glassy as she thought of the good days. "I didn't really fancy him. My head was too buried in my future. Back then, I wanted to be a powerful witch, maybe even the first women Prime Minister. It wasn't until the rumors went round that it was Ria Eveline that I started noticing how his cheek bones accented his handsome face perfectly. We started saying hi in the halls and I fell in love." _

There was sharp pulling sensation on Albus' ear. He saw Ria's face blur and little bouncing Ava disappear. A swat of his hands brought ripple's to the scenery, a sign that he was leaving the memory. Another sharp tug sent spikes of pain across the left side of Albus' body. Then another and he began his descent upward.

"What in the bloody hell do you think you're doing?" a shrill voice screamed.


	12. Knife in the Dark

Rage boiled through Ava. She felt the dragon inside be released and let loose, devouring any thoughts, letting only her raging fire take over. At the same time, she felt a claw gorge a piece of her heart out and devour it in a bloody frenzy. The one person she thought she would be able to trust had just done everything possible to break her heart. He had went behind her back and torn her veil of privacy.

Albus' ears were bright red from being pulled on and with shame. His shoulders hung limply down when he saw the shock and anger drawn so clearly on Ava's face. There was no way he could express why he had done it. Curiosity wouldn't be a good enough answer and Ava wasn't going to take any bullshit. Albus almost drew back when he saw a plume of fire flash in Ava's eyes. Now Albus knew what his father was talking about. _Eyes that knew no love._ She took after her father in that aspect and it caused a shiver of fear run through Albus' spine.

"What do you think you were doing?" Ava spit out the words like poisonous venom that aimed directly for Albus.

He was paralyzed for a moment. Eventually he stammered out the most pathetic response he could think of, "You dropped it and, and I wanted, I was curious."

"You went behind my back to spy on my past!" Ava shouted at him, not hearing the response. The pounding in her ears drowned out any sound. She radiated such anger that even the birds outside the window felt it and stopped singing.

Albus stood in front of her, unable to move his feet. "I'm sorry," he whispered.

Ava seemed to hear that one, "Sorry is all you can say? Now you're going to go around the school screaming that my bloody father is Voldemort. You're never going to love a Riddle," Ava started sobbing at the last words. She knew she could have never told a Potter that the girl he loved was his father's worst enemy. In that moment, she felt broken and useless. Nobody honorable would ever love a girl with the last name of Riddle. The dragon shrank back into its cave; all that was left was her bleeding heart and a freezing iciness in her soul. Ava sank to the ground, trembling.

Albus tried to open his mouth and say something. He tried to protest. It didn't matter that she was a Riddle. She wasn't her father. Yet, words escaped him.

"Go. Just leave," Ava whispered. "I'll never love a traitor."

The words struck Albus like two Bludgers aimed straight at his chest. He was left with the same breathless, painful feeling. It made him stumble back.

"Go," Ava said the last word with a stronger voice.

Albus clutched his chest and stumbled out the door without protest. Her words, "_I'll never love a traitor,"_ stabbed at him like a knife in the dark.


	13. Pain and Strength

Pain is such an overused word. What does it mean? Is it the simple sting of a cut? Or is it the excruciating shock of a knife embedding itself in flesh? Perhaps it is the shattering in the chest of a person who has lost a loved one to the claws of Death. Albus experienced a different type of pain. His was the type that shoved a rock of guilt down his throat and chipped at his heart. He could not bear to speak to his worried friends, in fear that he would break down into a mass of tears. Class was even worse. How could he hide from the unwavering glare that Ava shot him at every chance she had? Her shy flirting with Scorpius caused another emotion to rise within him. The bubbling smoke of jealousy clouded Albus' mind every second of the day along with hatred; hatred not at Ava, but at himself for betraying her trust.

A hand touched his shoulder during lunch nearly a week later. In an almost feverish surprise, he spun around, shocking Rose with the wild glint in his eye.

"Are you alright, Albus?" she asked, concern tied her eyebrows in a knot.

Albus shook his head. His shoulders were drooped in defeat and his eyes were sunken in his unusually pale skin.

"Bloody hell, you can't just disappear for two days and turn up like a ghost without an explanation to your cousin!" Rose was fuming now. She would not be ignored.

There was an uncomfortable silence. James broke it. He had been listening with great worry for his brother, "Albus, you can tell us. We're your family."

Tears filled Albus' eyes and he ran out of the Great Hall. Rose and James exchanged glances and sprinted after him. Ava looked up from her toast and gave a cold glance in their direction.

"Shut up," she spat at a chattering Scorpius and stalked after them. The poor blonde boy sat open-mouthed in shock, sputtering.

Out in the Charms corridor, Albus stopped to breathe and think about where he would go. The Room of Requirement was no longer an option for him. It held a memory too painful to bear. Footsteps echoed behind Albus and he stiffened, preparing to run. Ahead of him was a door that was quite moldy and disgusting, the perfect hiding place. Carefully, with his sleeve, Albus pushed the door open and slipped into a dark bathroom. The bathroom looked as if it had not been used in years. The circle of sinks was blackened with mold and an overpowering smell wafted from the dirty white stalls.

A clink from the toilets caused Albus to whip around in fear. There then came a soft whining voice.

"Ooo, I haven't seen you in years. Harry Potter isn't it?" A ghostly girl floated from the darkest stall. She was quite unattractive with large glasses and a sour looking face.

It was Moaning Myrtle.

_I hope you never go into that bathroom. It is a girl's bathroom of course, so you shouldn't be poking your heads in there anyways. Only because I was under the most unusual circumstance I went in with your Uncle Ron and Aunt Hermione. It's really not just any ordinary bathroom, it's more smelly than most, but it also hides the entrance to the Chamber of Secrets. Legend is, Salazar Slytherin opened up a chamber in the deep recesses of Hogwarts and unleashed an unspeakable evil. His goal was to rid the school of Muggle-borns, believing that their blood was unworthy of magical education. The other founders kicked his slimy arse out of Hogwarts, but the chamber remained. Slytherin's heir is said to one day open up the chamber and release the monster waiting within to purge the school and cleanse the grounds of filthy blood. _

_ It was my second year that the chamber opened. Voldemort's memory possessed your mother and used her to open up the entrance in the girl's bathroom. A girl actually died in that bathroom. Her name was Myrtle, but everyone calls her Moaning Myrtle. She whines and cries all day, quite miserable to be around actually. Trust me; just don't go into that bathroom. _

_ Too late_, Albus thought. He cleared his throat and faced Moaning Myrtle, "No, I'm his son, Albus."

"Has your father ever talked about me?" Moaning Myrtle swooned upon Albus.

"Once, or twice," Albus sputtered as Myrtle passed through him, leaving an unpleasant cold feeling.

She let out a cry of despair, "Nobody talks about ugly, dead Myrtle!"

Back in her stall, she crashed around and cried.

"Shhh, please don't be so loud," Albus didn't want the others to find him.

"You were as loud as she was with your elephant feet," a hoarse voice whispered from the door. For some reason, it did not surprise Albus that she had showed up.

Albus could recognize that voice anywhere. It was like silk that had been rubbed against some sandpaper; soft with an edge of roughness. In retrospect, the voice matched her personality well. She was a pretty girl, with soft lips and graceful features. Her history was the complete opposite. The girl had been thrown into the world to defend herself. Behind the soft grace, she held herself like a tiger, ready to pounce at the sight of danger. She was not afraid to be rough and take a swipe with sharpened claws.

"I'm sorry. I don't know what else to say," Albus couldn't bear to turn and face her. It would break him into an even more fragile state.

"I didn't come for you to apologize. No words can make things better. I came to tell you to pull your act together or you'll give me away too. Don't be weak," she shot at him. With that, she pushed the door open and slipped out into the hall, but not without words that drove into Albus' heart, "The Albus I loved was stronger than this, it showed in his eyes."


	14. Moaning Myrtle

Albus sat on the grimy floor. It's weird isn't it, how one person flits into your life and the next thing you know, there's nothing else that's more important. He could hear the exact sound and tone of Ava's voice still repeating itself endlessly in his ear. It made his heart skip a beat to know that she had indeed loved him; loved, not love. Love never just fades though. Or did it?

Moaning Myrtle came out of her stall, sniffling. She lowered herself down next Albus and looked glumly at the sinks.

"Love hurts doesn't it?" she asked. "Of course I wouldn't know because nobody loves me…" She started to howl wet cries at the thought of it. Albus gave her a moment to calm down. "A-after all I've seen, floating around in the school, it started to seem like love was the reason for distress, not happiness; so many have come into my bathroom crying because of a broken heart. I started to wonder if it was worth it, loving."

Myrtle sighed and Albus looked at her in surprise. He hadn't expected her to say something like that. His father had depicted her as a whining teenage girl that never got a chance at life. The trickling of water was all that sounded for the next couple moments.

"I love her," Albus finally said. "I've like her since the first time I saw her. She was so out of place. I wanted to talk to her, she was just different from everyone else, almost refreshingly different. It's just that I've never had a chance to talk to her, to tell her how I feel. Now that I had a chance, I've ruined it. She hates me now because I couldn't control my curiosity."

"She still loves you. I saw it when she was talking to you. I may be moaning, miserable Myrtle, but I know things too. There's a look in her eyes that softens when she sees you. When you're dead, you start to notice the little things, don't you?"

Albus looked at Myrtle with wet eyes. "Will she ever forgive me?"

Myrtle peered through her glasses in looking intently at the boy. She shrugged and flew up back to her stall, leaving Albus to reflect on her words.

"What do I tell my friends?" Albus groaned into his hands.

"The truth," Myrtle muttered glumly from her stall.

"How?"

Myrtle rested herself at the top of the stall and looked over at the boy with his head buried into his hands. She felt a moment of pity for the living, something she had never felt before. "If they love you, they'll understand," she told him.

"Now?" Albus didn't want to face humans anytime soon.

"Now," Myrtle's voice held a firm finality.

It took a moment of immense control and courage for Albus to stand up from the bathroom floor. He gave Myrtle a look of gratitude to express the words that he could not say and peered out the door.

The hall was empty, void of living things. Albus crept out, his heart pounding. He didn't know what he would say when he goes face to face with his friends. Class had already started, there would be no way he could confront them now, so he wandered up to the Gryffindor Tower, preparing a script in his head.

The Fat Lady swung open to reveal a sight that made Albus' jump in fear and surprise. Rose, Sean, and James stood by the fire, their heads bent in a circle, deep in discussion. Albus began to back out of the Common Room, but was stopped as the Fat Lady swung the portrait shut with a slam. It seemed to echo horribly in Albus' ears.

Much to his dismay, the group looked up and their eyes widened.

"Why aren't you guys in class?" Albus managed to say through trembling lips.

Rose folded her arms, the bossy look on her face reminded Albus of Aunt Hermione. Her voice was firm and decided as she said, "I knew you would run back here. Tell me what's going on or I'm writing home."

Albus sank into the sofa, dreading having to tell the truth. He only expected to reactions; they would either laugh at him or tell him off for messing up a relationship in such little time?

It was decided; Albus started his tale from the moment he had received the note hidden in the quill. The only part he decided to leave out was the contents of the memory. He felt as if he owed Ava that much. It would be a million times worse if he told, in her eyes, everyone about her past. Instead, he wove a tale of how she caught him about to pour the memory into the bowl.

Albus finished and dared to look up pat the faces of his brother and his two best friends. Their faces were painted with shock and surprise.


	15. Extendable Ears

"Why didn't you tell us?" Rose exploded after a minute of uncomfortable silence. Her face turned red with anger at her cousin. She thought he would have trusted her enough to tell.

"Forget about telling us, why were you so stupid? You just lost the prettiest girl in our year, maybe even in Hogwarts!" Sean was much more understanding to Albus' relief.

Immediately, Rose and Sean turned to begin a heated debate about what Albus should have done. It wasn't until the bell rang for the next class to start that he noticed his brother hadn't said a word.

James was staring out of the window, his face void of emotion. It would have made Albus feel better if his brother started to joke around like his usual self, but he wasn't.

"James?" Albus looked at his brother, beginning to worry.

"Hmm?" James didn't look away from the window. Albus moved next to his brother to look out the window. The scene was relatively normal. Outside, the fields were green and the sun was high in the sky. It wasn't until Albus strained his eyes that he saw what made his brother freeze in such a way.

A sliver of string hung from the window. They could recognize the string anywhere. It was Uncle George's improvement on his and the late Uncle Fred's Extendable Ears.

_"I did it!" George burst into the living room. His eyes were shadowed from lack of sleep. He would often go days without sleeping to one mindedly complete a new project. It was his way of forgetting about his twin brother's death. _

_ "Did what?" Ginny sat on the sofa with Albus in her lap. _

_ "Remember the Extended Ears? I made them better. Look," George excitedly pulled out a shiny, but almost invisible string. Instead of having a large flesh colored ear at the end of the string, it was just a small, barely visible, knob. "It's perfect; people will hardly see this baby and it can stretch miles." _

Albus' heart stopped. Someone had been listening into their conversation. They had heard what he was telling his friends. Without thinking it through, he lunged at the end. As he flew through the air, the string pulled back quickly, leaving Albus to crash against the window ledge. There was a quick burst of pain in his side as he dropped to the ground. It was going to be bruised, Albus could tell already.

"Who was it? Did you see?" he gasped at his brother.

"Who was what? What?" Rose sputtered, utterly confused.

"There was someone listening. They must have gotten an Extendable Ear from Uncle George's store," Albus breathed heavily, touching the tender skin at his side.

"I can fix that," Rose said. Her mother had taught her a simple spell to heal bruises. Albus felt relief right away.

"I didn't see a face, but I saw a boy with blonde hair run away from a window two towers over," James pointed to a tall tower a hundred feet away from the Gryffindor window.

"Blonde?" Albus could only think of one blonde person who would want to intrude on his conversations. "Malfoy."

"Scorpius?" Rose gasped.

"It must be him. He must've saw Ava run after me today," Albus said bitterly. "I would bet a thousand Galleons that it's him. Which other blonde would do this?"

"How much do you think he heard?" Sean looked warily out the window.

"Enough to do damage," Albus was glad he had at least kept Ava's true identity a secret. If Malfoy found out, there would be absolute havoc.

"Should we run after that bastard?" James inched toward the door.

Albus decided carefully. If he didn't run after him, he would risk blowing his and Ava's cover. That was enough to convince Albus to run out of the Common Room, in search of Scorpius Malfoy.


	16. The chase

Bored students sitting in class peered curiously out the door as they saw the most unusual sight. A black-haired boy sprinted past them with three others on his tail. They couldn't tell if the others were running _with_ the first boy or _after_ him. To them, it didn't matter at the moment. They were happy to have a few seconds of good entertainment before the teachers snapped at them to pay attention.

Ava stared out the door despite Professors Lupin's protests. She looked around the classroom. Albus, Rose, Sean, and, _ahhhh_ _this isn't good, _she thought as she saw that Scorpius wasn't in class either. It took every nerve of her nearly nonexistent self control to stay in her seat. She squirmed with anxiety and worry, even though she was still horribly angry at Albus.

Lupin must have noticed her discomfort. Sighing, he put down his book and asked her, "Ava, you already missed a class. Is there something wrong again?"

Blushing slightly at the attention brought to her, Ava decided it was best to find out what was going on. "Yes, I'm really not feeling well. I've got the monthly cramps, you know?"

The class snickered a little. It was Lupin's turn to blush slightly. "Well, go on to the—bathroom or—wherever you need to go to."

Without a second hesitation, Ava hurried out of the room.

"Wait, do you know where Albus is?" Lupin called out after Ava, remembering his little cousin's absence.

Looking directly in Lupin's eye, Ava said, "No idea," and ran out the door.

Ava sprinted full speed down the corridor in the direction she had seen Albus run. Very faintly ahead, she could still hear footsteps pounding against the stone floor. They seemed to have turned right at the end of the corridor. Skidding to a stop, Ava dropped her overflowing bag down first and continued on her chase.

"I think this is it," she heard Albus say. "It was this tower right?"

"Yea, but he ran that way," another voice replied.

"I hear footsteps."

Ava froze. They must have been able to hear her since she could hear them. It was her intention to go undetected, but it was no use thinking about that now. She stood and waited for the group to find her.

The footsteps neared her and for some reason, Ava felt her heart beat faster.

"Aha! Found him," Albus shouted triumphantly. He wasn't looking at Ava, he was looking behind her at a blonde head that peaked out of a corner, not two feet away from Ava. "Ava?" the shock registered on Albus' face as he set his eyes down on an unexpected visitor.

"Hi," she said weakly.

"Don't move!" James pointed at Scorpius who had attempted to run in the moment of distraction. The pale boy froze; his face a pale mask of contempt and anger. James grabbed him by the collar and hauled him against the wall.

"What did you hear?" he growled. It sent shivers up even Albus' spine. Scorpius trembled slightly, but kept his head up high for the sake of vanity or perhaps arrogance.

"I know enough to get both of you expelled," he directed it at Albus and Ava, who were standing awkwardly observing one another.

"You wouldn't," Ava said, still facing Albus unflinchingly.

An ugly shade of pink rose to Scorpius' normally pale, colorless face. "Why wouldn't I?" he sneered.

"Because, for your information, you were using an illegal toy to spy on us. I believe the old caretaker, Filch, banned all Weasley merchandise years ago," James smiled triumphantly. "So, you can't get Albus in trouble without getting yourself in trouble."

Scorpius' smile was wiped off immediately. He pulled out of James' grip and raced out of the reach of Sean. "I'll find a way, I will!" he called behind him and disappeared around the corner.


	17. Better than the First

"Now, what are you doing out of class?" James turned to Ava.

"I might ask the same thing," she said, keeping her face turned toward Albus. Her face was almost completely unreadable, void of emotion, except for the small twitch tugging at her lips. She wanted so desperately to smile, to forgive. It was against her better judgment to forgive. Ava had never wanted to forgive; she was the greatest at holding grudges. People who knew her well joked that her soul was woven with threads of anger and pain, creating the strong and stubborn child she was. Albus has broken every pattern; he has cut through thread with the sharpest of knives, love. The question now haunted her: _should she forgive?_

Albus' eyes seamed to be screaming with a thousand sorrows and apologies that he could not voice. How could Ava ignore that? She wouldn't be able to if she looked any longer. With a wretch of her head, she managed to turn herself away from his gaze.

"I should be getting back to the Common Room," she said, thanking Merlin that her voice hadn't wavered. "I might see you later."

The group of friends watched her walk down the corridor silently.

"Weird girl. Wouldn't get myself tangled in that," James advised his little brother, knowing full well it would be ignored.

Albus, of course, did not answer. He was spinning into a world of his own. Was that a flash of forgiveness he saw in Ava's eyes for one fraction of a moment before she walked away, or was he dreaming? It was stupid to raise his hopes up, but Albus couldn't help playing around with the idea.

Without so much acknowledging his friends, Albus ran off after her, like a desperate puppy following his master.

"I know you've been following me," Ava whispered. "I can hear you, so don't pretend like you're not there." She couldn't bring herself to turn to face Albus again; her ears were all she could trust now. "Why are you here?"

There was silence as Albus struggled to find the right words. He didn't know why he had followed Ava, it was definitely not a wise decision; he hadn't making very many good decisions lately. It took a while, but he finally figured it out.

"I miss you and I would do anything just to have you back, to be friends. Please."

It was the most sentimental, soft, emotional sentence Albus has ever uttered. He meant every word he said this time and he was not going to give up until Ava understood that. People, Muggle or wizard, didn't meet someone like Ava everyday. If she couldn't love him, Albus decided he would understand. He didn't need her to forget, only to forgive him. Only then could he be at peace with himself.

Ava glared at the wall in front of her, angry at how easily he could penetrate through her heart. Tears of frustration clouded up the bricks in front of her.

She spun around and grabbed Albus by the shirt.

"I hate you," she growled and planted her lips on his.

Albus stumbled back, surprised by her ferocity. Her soft lips pushed hard into his, filled with desire and longing. A sharp pain shot down Albus' head as she dug her nails into his scalp and tore at his hair. Ava's tongue flicked across his skin; sending shivers running down his spine.

"I love you too," Albus managed to gasp. He pulled Ava gently away from him. It would require a while longer for him to settle from his shock. "Am I forgiven?"

Ava smirked. "No."

"What will I have to do to get you to forgive me?" For a moment, Albus' stomach dropped and he was swallowed by a wave of worry. "Why did you just kiss me?"

Ava dismissed his question with another kiss, this time gentler. All the fury was gone in the kiss, replaced by gentle passion. She worshiped every atom of his being as he began to kiss her back. His hands found their way to the small of her back, pressing her against him. Warmth radiated from his skin and settled into Ava's once stone cold heart. Her hair tickled his face pleasantly and both Ava and Albus lost themselves, forgetting about time and place. It was so much better than that first kiss, Albus decided. This kiss poured out every emotion they have ever felt with one another. Love, anger, and forgiveness melted into one, creating something more than that first kiss they had shared.

"Now I forgive you," Ava said, pulling away. "Just please, swear to me that you won't tell anyone. Everyone would hate me for the blood in my veins."

"I haven't told anyone so far and I don't plan to," Albus promised. He hugged her close. "Our parents should never define who we are, whether they be good or bad."

_note: So sorry for the long wait. I've been working on a novel that I hope to finish by the end of the year. If anyone is interested in reading the first few chapters, message me. _


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